Landing device for aeroplanes



M. SIKIRICA.

LANDING DEVICE FOR AEROPLANES.

APPLlCATlON FILED FEB. I3. 1918.

Patented June 3, 1919.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTOR N EY MOSIER SIKIRICA, 015 FORT BARRANCAS, FLORIDA.

LANDING DEVICE FOR AEROPLANES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1919.

Application filed February 13, 1918. Serial No. 216,862.

descending from a flight, and has for its principal object the provision of a wheeled frame secured upon the under side of the aeroplane body by resilient means, which absorb the shock when said frame strikes the ground upon landing and thus removes or lessens the injury to the various delicate parts of the plane which often results when the plane descends too rapidly.

lVith this object in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an aeroplane with the improved landing mechanism applied thereto.

Fig. 2 .is a front elevation of the same, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional View showing details of the invention.

In the drawing,'l0 indicates the, body of an aeroplane, on the under side of which is mounted the landin present instance, inc udes a cross shaft 12 on the ends of which are mounted two wheels 13, the tires 14 of which are preferably of the pneumatic type as shown. Mounted on each end of the shaft 12 within the wheels 13, is an upright baror rod 15, said bars being fixed or journaled on the shaft 12 as conditions warrant. The upper ends of the bars 315 are longitudinally slida'ble in bearings 16 secured to opposite sides of the body 10, the upper end of the bars being forked as shown at 17. Between the upper ends of --each fork 17 isa cross rod 18 joining said ends, and connected to said rod between the forks is a coil spring 19. The. springs 19 extend downwardly from said cross rods and are connected at their lower ends by bolts or other fastenings to the body 10:

Projecting forwardly from the center of the shaft 12 to which it ispivoted, is a shoe 21, said shoe extending forwardly for somedevice which, in the distance in a straight line, but, finally terminating with an upwardly curved end 22. At a suitable point in the length of the shoe 21, there is pivoted to said shoe an upwardly and rearwardly inclined bar 23, the upper end of which is forked at 24 similar to the upper ends of the bars 15. A cross rod 25 connects the upper ends .ofthe fork 24 and a coil spring 26 attached to said cross rod extendsdownwardly in linewith the bar 23 for a suitable distance to be connected at its lower end to a finger projecting forwardly between the fork-arms from a bracket 27 secured on the under side of the aeroplane body.

In operation, when the wheels 17 contact with the ground upon the descent of the aeroplane, the bars 15 slide upwardly in the bearings 16 and expand the sprin s 19 thereby forming a cushioning .or yiel ing means for absorbing the shock of landing. Shouldthe aeroplane descend at an angle with its forward end depressed, theshoe 21 would first engage the ground and force upwardly the bar 23, expanding the spring 26 and so thata simple easy, and efficient means has been provided for effecting a safe and easy landing of an aeroplane.

What I claim is:

1. In combination withan aeroplane body, a landing device therefor comprising a wheeled frame, said frame including a bar, a guide member on the body in which the bar slides, above the guides being bifurcated and having a connectin -member, a spring cushioning the blow. It will thus be seen I v fastened to the connectlng member and to I the body, and said spring functioning to normally maintain the bifurcated portion in engagement with the guide member and to act as a cushion during landing of the body.

2. In combination with an aeroplane body, anda bracket secured thereto and having a forwardly projecting finger, a landing device comprising a wheeled frame, a bar rising therefrom and having its upperend forked and the fork-arms passing astride said finger, a cross rod connecting the fork arms, and a spring connecting the finger and cross rod. 1 v

3. In combination with an aeroplane body, a landing device therefor comprising a wheeled frame, said frame having slidable I upstanding bars, cushioning means connecting said bars to the body, said frame having a shoe, a bar connected to 'said shoe, the

last mentioned bar having a slot, a fastening member extending into the slot, a bracket secured to the body and extending into the slot below the fastening member, and a cushioning spring disposed in said slot and secured to the fastening member and said bracket.

4. In combination with an aeroplane body, a landing device therefor comprising a wheeled axle, bars extending upwardly from said axle to opposite sides of said body, the upper ends of said bars being forked, a bearing on each side of said body through which bearing said bars are adapted to slide longitudinally, a rod connecting the upper ends of each of said forks, a spring connected to each rod and to the body, a forwardly projecting shoe journaled at one end on said axle and having its opposite end curved upwardly, a bar pivotally mounted near-the forward end of said shoe and extending upwardly therefrom with a rearward inclination, a fork on the upper end of said rod, a bracket fixed to the bottom of the aeroplane body and having a finger extending through the fork on said inclined bar, and a spring connected to said finger and to a rod extending across the upper ends of said fork.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 30 in presence of two witnesses.

MOSIER SIKIRICA.

Witnesses:

ALBERT Wrr'r, PERCY S. CAMPBELL, 

